1. Field of the Invention:
This invention relates to portable walls. The invention is particularly directed towards decorated lightweight interior wall sections positionable in desired locations to produce temporary closures, to reduce or eliminate noise, and to provide an added measure of thermal insulation. The wall covering of the immediate invention is provided in foldable sectioned panels which can be easily trimmed to a desired size. A particular method of spring biasing allows placing the portable wall immediately adjacent a permanent wall or in any location where upper and lower support common to a standard sized household room is available. No attachment nails or screws are required.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
A variety of devices have been developed over the years in an attempt to solve the problem of noise pollution originating from both within a building and from without. Noise generated from within a building, such as that experienced in factories and large business offices can be annoying and distracting to the workers. Free standing room dividers or acoustical partitions have been in use in offices for some time and have been effective in reducing the volume of the noise. The free standing acoustical room dividers however, are primarily directed at reducing noise generated from the room in which they are situated, but do not significantly effect noise originating from adjacent rooms or buildings. This type of noise pollution is most often experienced by people living in large apartment complexes where a common wall is shared by two or more individual dwelling units. Thermal insulation applied to exterior walls helps to reduce noise originating from outside the building, but interior walls however are seldom insulated. This creates a less than effective acoustical barrier between the two apartments. Acoustical wall paneling applied to the adjacent wall itself would be a more direct means of reducing or eliminating this form of noise. Most apartment complexes owners and managers view this as an unnecessary expense. They also try to prevent the renter from installing devices of his own which are permanent or mar the surface of the ceiling or walls. To avoid this the use of an acoustical wall paneling which is free standing or does not damage the wall finish during installation is necessary. Free standing or permanently mounted vertical acoustical panels are available but a portable wall with the uniqueness and versatility of the present invention is not found. Examples of past art offerings are seen in patents issued to Watters, Bergstrom, Erickson and Saylor, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,062,316, 4,047,337, 4,057,123, and 4,155,211 respectfully. Some of these devices have support legs or stands for allowing free standing formation inside a room but provide no means for direct placement against a wall other than permanent brackets using nails or screws. Support stands provided in the past art devices appear to be extending braces which prevent the wall panel from being positioned in close proximity to the wall. Even with back portions of the support brace severed to allow abutment against the wall, there still would be an outward forward extension of the support brace which could interfere with foot traffic and would reduce the aesthetic appearance of the panels. Other devices disclosed have narrow support legs with no means for preventing the wall panels from falling over once they are aligned in a straight row against a vertical wall. The existence of support legs also exposes an area of the wall which is unprotected by the acoustical paneling, limiting the sound proofing effect. Several of the past art devices describe panels comprised of materials which would be difficult to cut to a desired size without special tools. Others had support frames which prevent custom alteration. No provisions were seen in past art devices for accessing various wall fixtures such as electrical switches and electrical outlets. Most importantly, none of the previously mentioned devices describe wall panels which can be removably applied to the wall without marring the wall surface. Many of the past art devices also require assembly and installation with conventional or specialized tools by one skilled in the art and would prove difficult for the common layman to master. A majority of the disclosed devices are provided in large, framed sections which are cumbersome and difficult to transport by the conventional apartment dweller.
Therefore, in the immediate invention, I overcomes the described disadvantages seen in the past art by providing portable walling both acoustical and plain having a aesthetic wall covering which folds for storage and opens for use. The walling is held upright in place by special spring biasing without needing a foot arrangement as is described fully further on in the following specification.